Acts 27 29

Acts 27:29 kjv

Then fearing lest we should have fallen upon rocks, they cast four anchors out of the stern, and wished for the day.

Acts 27:29 nkjv

Then, fearing lest we should run aground on the rocks, they dropped four anchors from the stern, and prayed for day to come.

Acts 27:29 niv

Fearing that we would be dashed against the rocks, they dropped four anchors from the stern and prayed for daylight.

Acts 27:29 esv

And fearing that we might run on the rocks, they let down four anchors from the stern and prayed for day to come.

Acts 27:29 nlt

At this rate they were afraid we would soon be driven against the rocks along the shore, so they threw out four anchors from the back of the ship and prayed for daylight.

Acts 27 verses

Acts 27 29 Meaning

Acts 27:29 depicts the crew's heightened fear and their desperate, strategic actions to avert imminent shipwreck. After drifting for nights and detecting shallow waters, they deploy four anchors from the stern to stabilize the ship against further drift onto unseen rocks, and earnestly long for the light of day to better assess their perilous situation.

Acts 27 29 Context

This verse occurs during Paul's perilous sea voyage to Rome as a prisoner. Chapter 27 describes a massive storm (Euroclydon) that has relentlessly driven the ship for fourteen days. Food supplies are dwindling, and all hope of being saved is gone (v. 20). Despite the desperate situation, Paul, previously ignored when he warned against sailing (v. 9-11), has received a divine message of assurance: though the ship will be lost, no life will perish (v. 22-26). The crew's actions in verse 29, therefore, represent both skilled seamanship born of terror and a human attempt at preservation, even while Paul had given a prophecy of divine protection. The feeling of shallow water after such a long drift signified imminent destruction on an unknown coast, making the approach of night especially terrifying due to obscured visibility of dangers like reefs and shorelines.

Acts 27 29 Word analysis

• Then (Τότε - tote): Temporal indicator. Connects this action directly to the preceding event: feeling shallow water at 20 fathoms (v. 28), then 15 fathoms.
• fearing (φοβοῦντες - phobountes): Greek present active participle. Describes an ongoing, active state of apprehension. Indicates intense, sustained terror.
• lest (μή - mē): Introduces the object of their fear. Expresses the purpose or apprehension, "for fear that."
• we should run aground (ἐκπέσωμεν - ekpesōmen): Greek aorist subjunctive. From ekpipto, meaning "to fall out, be thrown down." In a nautical context, "to be driven off course and shipwrecked," "to be cast ashore." Signifies striking the land/reef unexpectedly.
• on rocks (εἰς τραχεῖς τόπους - eis tracheis topous): "Into rough places." This clearly denotes rocky shoals, reefs, or a rugged coast. The specific nature of the grave danger.
• they cast out (ἔκβαλον - ekbalon): Greek aorist indicative. From ekballo, "to throw out." A decisive, immediate action.
• four anchors (ἀγκύρας τέσσαρας - ankuras tessaras): The quantity suggests extreme desperation. Typical ancient ships carried two to four anchors, usually dropped from the bow. Using four from the stern signifies maximum braking and stabilization effort.
• from the stern (ἐκ πρύμνης - ek prymnēs): "From the rear part of the ship." While typical anchoring is from the bow, stern anchoring (often to avoid broaching - being turned sideways to large waves and capsizing or swamping) was a known tactic for certain situations. It could hold the stern up against waves or control the ship's drift/angle. It may also have been to "swing the ship" so the bow faced the open sea/storm for better control and stability against the heavy waves during the night.
• and wished (καὶ ηὔχοντο - kai ēuchonto): Greek imperfect indicative of euchomai. Implies an earnest, prolonged desire or prayer. "Longed for" or "prayed for."
• for day (ἡμέραν γενέσθαι - hēmeran genesthai): "For day to come/happen." Visibility from daylight was crucial for navigation, assessing danger, and formulating an escape plan from an unknown, hostile coastline. Darkness heightened their vulnerability and fear.

Word Groups Analysis:

• "Then fearing lest we should run aground on rocks": This phrase captures the immediate, paralyzing dread the mariners faced. The close proximity to an unseen, jagged shore in darkness magnified their terror, threatening inevitable destruction for the ship.
• "they cast out four anchors from the stern": This details a highly specialized, desperate maneuver. Deploying multiple anchors from the stern aimed to slow the drift, provide maximum holding power, and potentially to orient the ship's bow towards the open sea or prevent it from turning broadside to the waves, demonstrating seasoned mariners' actions in a dire emergency.
• "and wished for day": This conveys the psychological anguish and fundamental human need for light and clarity amidst confusion and peril. Daylight offered hope of seeing the dangers, finding a safe approach, or initiating further life-saving measures, breaking the shroud of darkness that amplified their fears.

Acts 27 29 Bonus section

• The strategic anchoring from the stern is generally believed by maritime experts to have been done to keep the ship's bow facing the sea and the brunt of the storm. This would prevent the ship from being pushed stern-first onto rocks and would allow for better steerage/control when the day finally broke, which indeed aligns with subsequent actions in the narrative.
• The contrast between the professional sailors' overwhelming fear and Paul's calm demeanor (based on his prophetic word from God in v. 23-25) is significant. It illustrates the difference between relying on human sight and experience, versus resting on divine promise amidst dire circumstances.
• The desire for "day" can be seen as a universal metaphor for seeking clarity, guidance, or salvation in times of crisis, a theme frequently echoed in Scripture where light dispels darkness (Ps 119:105, Jn 1:5).
• The number of anchors (four) underscores the critical nature of the situation and the depth of their desperation to arrest the ship's drift at all costs. This was not a routine action but a last-ditch effort.

Acts 27 29 Commentary

Acts 27:29 concisely presents a scene of extreme maritime crisis and the human response to it. Despite Paul's earlier divine assurance that no lives would be lost, the professional sailors react with a raw, primal fear, born of their direct perception of immediate danger (shallow water and darkness). Their action of casting four stern anchors is not merely a reactive panic but a desperate, intelligent, and highly strategic nautical maneuver by experienced men to secure stability against unknown submerged hazards during a violent storm. It demonstrates their will to survive through all human means available. Their "wishing for day" highlights the overwhelming psychological burden of navigating unseen dangers, underscoring humanity's universal longing for clarity and the hope that dawn brings in times of profound uncertainty and darkness, both physical and metaphorical. This verse beautifully illustrates the blend of human effort, fear, and desire for light in the face of peril, while unknowingly working within God's sovereign plan.